The O. Henry Prize Stories 2016 Not as strong a set of stories as last year in my opinion. Still I would recommend it certainly as a snapshot of the short story world. Here are a few comments on the stories I enjoyed. One of the best I thought was the opening story “Irises” by Elizabeth Genovise (from Cimarron Review). It explores a mother-daughter relationship, the question of abortion and life itself. A very intriguing opening from a fetus perspective that is facing being aborted. It goes on t...

Always great. This was a particularly good year.

Overall, and minus a few duds, this is a fantastic collection of short stories. It features several of the best short stories I've ever read, including a story that manages to make baseball fascinating -- a heroic accomplishment by itself. 4.7 Stars Rough notes and comments on my favourite selections 'Irises' by Elizabeth Genovise- This is definitely one of the best short stories I've ever laid eyes on. The writing is top notch, the delivery gently-volleyed and insightful.(view spoiler)[- P...

A little heavy on the surreal/magic realism, but otherwise another solid edition of this perennial favorite. Although I don't agree with the judges on what the three best stories in this collection were (really, yet another story about a writer?), I'm certain any lover of short stories will find plenty to enjoy here.

Been working my way through this one for a few years too. Read the last few stories this week. Favorites were Geetha Iyer’s “The Mongerji Letters” (blogged about by me at https://bibliophilica.wordpress.com/2... ) Safety by Lydia Fitzpatrick (also covered on my blog https://bibliophilica.wordpress.com/2... ) “The Crabapple Tree” by Robert Coover (also featured on my blog https://bibliophilica.wordpress.com/2...) and, the most memorable story was Asako Serizawa’s “Heart-rending “Train to Harbin”

overall 4* but for this story it's 5*I am rather excited for this next short story review. I bought this book in January when I went to New York and I have waited for the right moment to start reviewing the stories! ‘The O.Henry Prize Stories 2016′. There are 22 (or more if you count the extra bits and pieces) short stories but for this review, I have chosen the very first story in the book. ‘Irises’ by Elizabeth Genovise is a captivating read with an unusual take on a ‘love story’. The story is...

Wonderful variety of stories and introduced writers new to me.

It's been a hot minute since the last time I read an anthology. This one, for some reason, spoke to me. Some of the stories were absolutely splendid. Others were just OK. A few were "meh." And a select few soared. My favorite of the bunch was "Irises" by Elizabeth Genovise. That story sang. I also thoroughly enjoyed "Bonus Baby" by Joe Donnelly. "Exit Zero," by Marie-Helene Bertino, is fantastical and funny. "Safety," by Lydia Fitzpatrick, is sweet and scary. "Winter, 1965," "Slumming," and "Hap...

I planned on averaging the star ratings that I gave all the stories individually, but this was full of so many great stories that shocked my socks off and brought me to tears that I felt discounting it for the stores I wasn’t as much of a fan of would have been unfair. It was brilliant and gorgeous.I’ve decided from now on i’m going to review short stories individually. The ones with a star are ones I read for class.Irises by Elizabeth Genovise- 5 stars*Brilliant. Thought-provoking. Romantic. Ve...

This book got me through a LOT of sleepless nights and morning/ evening commutes into work. Each story is distinctly different in not only their writing style, but their subjects, tone, emotions and details. I was taken on short journey's as a fly on the wall in all of the stories, and for some I desperately wanted to cling on more, or get out of there immediately. There is no debate, these writers were cherry picked for a reason in their story-telling skills. The choice of transition in the sub...

I really enjoyed this book! Now I can't say I liked every story for there were two I didn't like at all. But there were so many stories that I loved. One is the first story in the book "Iris." It's such a good story, with interesting characters, and a great plot. Check it out, and find out which stories you enjoy most.

If you are losing patience with the book, skip to the last story and read it. It is stunning, first for its breathtaking descriptions and then... well, no spoiler here. Go read it.

The stories in this wonderful anthology never fail to reveal the newest and best short stories being published today by writers known and unknown. A go-to for anyone interested in the form.

This was an alright collection of short stories. There were some that were excellent and some that were horrible, and a lot in between. It took me just over two months to finish this book because there were several stories that just completely turned me off from it, and made it difficult to go back. I also thought the order of the stories was possible a bad choice - in the first have of the book, there were several stories that centered around infidelity. The second half of the book had none. Th...

Really great collection. A few gems in these pages for sure.

5/5. Love short fiction.

For me, stories have to be about something.These, as with most of the prize winners of any literary prize, seem to be lovely writing going nowhere. No point to the stories at all.Obviously some people like that. It's not for me.I'll try to remember that before I choose books.

A great collection of diverse stories. This book really showcases the best of the kind of short stories that are being written today.

This collection was alright. Some stories were brilliant and some were horrible. Most of them were just ok. Something common I noticed in this collection; I felt like a lot of them just took too long to get into, or I was waiting for the story to take off and when I finished it I was left stranded. I really don’t understand how some of these stories were considered the best of the year. Irises - I would’ve liked this story better if it didn’t read like a reflection and if I didn’t know the mothe...

Collections of short stories are always a great adventure especially when traveling. I love O'Henry prize collections.